Spot the All White winger in all this...

Flying Kiwis will keep you up to date on the endeavours of New Zealand sports folk overseas. Not the battlers, mind you, but the genuine overlooked and underappreciated superstars that for some ridiculous reason don’t get a look in on local media.

Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eredivisie)

It wasn’t so long ago that we’d never heard of this kid, but the young All White just inspired the greatest day in the history of PEC Zwolle. That’s no exaggeration. For just the third time in their 104 year existence, Zwolle competed in the Dutch Cup Final. They’d lost the last two chances (1928 & 1977), and here faced an Ajax team that the same week had wrapped up the Eredivisie title. Looking for an unprecedented domestic treble (they also won the Dutch Super Cup), Ajax fans delayed the game early on twice, the second time for a full half an hour by unleashing red and white flares on the ground after taking an early lead. It took former Man Utd keeper Edwin Van Der Sar to tell them to settle down. It ended up having the worst possible effect on the Ajax team...

Flares & smoke delay the Dutch Cup Final (Olaf Kraak/EPA)

It was Ryan Thomas who, after being rested last week, streamed down the side of the defence and powered a shot across the goal, which was carried in by a big deflection for the equaliser. Then just a few minutes later, a free kick led to the ball pounding off the post and into the path of the left winger Thomas, who buried it home on the angle. 2-1 to Zwolle, who eventually ran away with an incredible upset win. 5-1 was the final score. The first trophy in the history of PEC Zwolle. It was the fireworks that will be remembered by most though the amazing comeback - and Ryan Thomas’ role in it – will go down in club history. A dream result.

Up Next: Probably on hell of a party. Eventually they do have to play PSV Eindhoven, on Monday 28th (NZT)

Winston Reid – West Ham United (English Premier League)

The Hammers are still a win away from guaranteed safety, after losing their third straight game – this time at home to the in-form Crystal Palace. The last bit of that sentence seems a ridiculous thing to say, but after Liverpool’s current streak, Palace’s five straight wins are the league’s second best. Winston Reid played 90 solid minutes, getting quite a few touches but not being called into action often. A couple of interceptions, a blocked shot and a handful of clearances from crosses were the extent of his defensive contributions. West Ham had the better of the game and created far more chances with 65% of possession. Typically for the Hammers, they had very little creativity, and without the kind of set pieces that they kept giving Palace in return, goals were too hard to come by. Aussie international Mile Jedinak scored the only goal from the penalty spot in the first half after the left back Pablo Armero (on loan from Napoli) brought down Cameron Jerome, in a challenge labelled “stupid” by his manager. Don’t expect to see him in the claret and blue nest season…

Up Next: Off to West Brom, 2am Sunday morning (NZT)

Chris Wood – Leicester City (English Championship)

Already guaranteed of promotion to the Premier League, Leicester City are basically confirmed as Championship winners too. That has looked like being the case for a long while, but it’s almost a reality after a draw with Reading and a 1-0 win over QPR this week. Burnley beat Blackpool to keep things interesting, but LCFC have a 7 point lead with three games remaining. A single win (or a Burnley loss) is all it’ll take.

Nigel Pearson has been mixing up his squad selections recently, giving different guys a run partly to see who’s ready for the step up next season, and I guess also as a reward for sticking around through a great season when perhaps opportunities weren’t always forthcoming. Chris Wood is one of the guys who has found himself almost always in and amongst things when available, and so he was one of the guys given a rest against QPR. He managed half an hour as a sub midweek against Reading, though didn’t find a lot of room to do much. Onwards and upwards, I s’pose.

Up Next: Bolton away on Wednesday morning 7am. Check the TV guides coz a win guarantees the title! (NZT)

Tommy Smith – Ipswich Town (English Championship)

Opportunity missed. Caught in a big scrap for the final playoff spot, Ipswich had the chance to make it theirs for at least a few days, but were beaten 3-1 by an equally desperate Watford. After fighting back from a 1-0 half time deficit, the game was balanced on a knife’s edge. A bullet header from Luke Hyam nearly put Ipswich in the lead but for a brilliant save, and within just a few minutes, the home team struck twice and stole the game – plus a crucial three points. Tommy Smith played pretty well at the heart of the Trotters defence, though he’ll want to hang his head low after that defensive unit were held responsible for the Watford double dagger by manager Mick McCarthy for their “piss poor marking”. Ouch. Brighton drew and Reading lost, so those two and Ipswich are all still all within a point of each other for that final playoff place, and Notts Forest and Bournemouth are breathing down their necks too.

Up Next: Bournemouth away – Tuesday morning 2am (NZT)

Ryan Nelsen – Toronto FC (US Major League Soccer)

The thing about high profile signings is: they’re no bleedin’ use if they’re injured. That’s the case with Jermaine Defoe who was missing once more on the weekend. American ‘Soccer Experts’ actually seemed to think that Defoe was on the verge of a world cup call-up after his start to the MLS season (he wasn’t – that’d be like the All Blacks picking some guy playing in Japan) and he has been the major figure in an early season injury crisis for Nelsen. Michael Bradley was back at least - he’s Toronto’s key player. Bradley couldn’t inspire a win though, and on a Sunday afternoon in North Texas, they lost to FC Dallas 2-1. Despite unfavourable conditions, losing to an 88th minute winner will have had Ryan Nelsen feeling furious. That’s the third loss in four and the second in a row for Toronto. They’re still third in the Eastern Conference though, so panic stations are a long way off. Hopefully he can get that side back to full fitness with a bye next weekend.

Speaking of injuries, Tony Lochhead of Chivas is still out hurt himself.

Up Next: vs New England Revolution on May 4 (NZT)